Icebreaking attachment



United States Patent [72] inventors Vladislav Vladimirovich Rastorguev,

Sosnovaya polyana, Georgievskaya ul. 52, kv.l 5; Artur Mikhailovich Terakopov, ul. Kuibysheva, 29, kv.66; Nikolai Melitonovich lvashkov, Primorsky prosp.,

53, kv.1l; Alexandr Ivanovich Begunkov, ul.

[541 ICE-BREAKING ATTACHMENT 10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 114/40 [51] Int. Cl B63b 35/10 [50] Field of Search l 14/40, 41,

Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix A ttorney- Waters, Roditi, Schwartz and Nissen ABSTRACT: An ice-breaker attachment is provided for connection with a ship at the bow end thereof such that the bow end of the ship is accommodated within a recess in the stern of the attachment. A protrusion is formed on the bottom of the attachment and has a wedge-shaped bow gradually flaring towards the stern of the attachment. A vibratory mechanism is carried by the attachment to impart vibrations thereto and break up ice through which the attachment passes, the attachment having a pump and pipes extending therefrom to the flaring sides of the protrusion to move broken ice out of the path ofthe ship.

illll I l 1 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 ll'l ICE-BREAKING ATTACHMENT This invention relates to water transport and more particularly to ice-breaking attachments provided with a vibratory mechanism used for breaking an ice cover.

There are conventionally known ice-breaking attachments provided with a vibratory mechanism, which are intended merely for breaking the ice cover but unsuitable for clearing the waterway of the broken ice.

Furthermore, the conventionally known ice-breaking attachments with the vibratory mechanism fail to protect the bow, propeller screws and rudders of an attachment-equipped ship against their contact with the broken ice when running ahead.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an icebreaking attachment equipped with a conventional vibratory mechanism, ensuring concurrently with breaking of the ice field, partial clearing of the waterway of the broken ice.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ice-breaking attachment equipped with a vibratory mechanism, ensuring adequate protection of the hull, propeller screws and rudders of the attachment-equipped ship against contact with the broken ice when running ahead.

In accordance with the above-mentioned and other objects of the invention, in the ice-breaking attachment with a vibratory mechanism, the bottom has a protrusion with a wedgeshaped bow end at the stem, said protrusion gradually flaring toward the stern.

It is feasible to lead at least one pressure pipe ofa hydraulic wash-off system through each of the walls forming the bottom step of said ice-breaking attachment.

The invention will appear more completely from the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a side view ofthc ice-breaking attachment, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the ice-breaking attachment, according to the invention.

An ice-breaking attachment 1 (FIG. I) equipped with a conventional vibratory mechanism 2 (such as shown in US. Pats. 2,995,103 and 3,045,628 has a recess 3 (FIG. 2) in its stern section, said recess protecting the bow of an attachmentequipped ship 4 against direct contact with the broken ice, said how fitting into said recess with a certain clearance.

The bottom of the ice-breaking attachment has a protrusion 5 (FIGS. 1 and 2) with a wedge-shaped bow end 6 at the stem, said protrusion gradually flaring toward the stern, so that the broken ice is forced along the curved generants of said bottom protrusion under an ice field beyond the limits of the waterway cut.

Pressure pipes 7 of thehydraulic wash-off system comprising a pump 8 and ducts 9 are led through the walls forming the protrusion in the ice-breaking attachment.

Owing to the energy ofa watcrjet forced out of the pressure pipes, the broken ice partly submerged by the body of the icebreaking attachment is intensively driven beyond the ice lane to a safe distance from its edges.

The ice-breaking attachment described herein ensures, concurrently with breaking of the ice field, the clearing of the waterway from 85 percent of the broken ice and reliable protection of the ship hull, propeller screws and rudders against the broken ice when running ahead.

The construction of the ice-breaking attachment permits its use on transport ships lacking special reinforcement, and ensures efficient" cutting of waterways practically free from the broken ice and permitting cruising at high speeds.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment thereof and the appended drawings, various alterations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

I. An ice-breaking attachment comprising a body adapted for being attached to the bow of a ship to project forwardly thereof; said body having a bottom and including a protrusion having a wedge-shaped bow end at the stem thereof, said protrusion gradually flaring toward the stern of said body; and a vibratory mechanism supported by said body to impart vibrations to the latter.

2. An attachment as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for discharging a liquid at the flaring sides of the protrusion to move broken ice out of the path ofthc ship.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for discharging liquid comprises a pump and at least one pipe extending from said pump to each of the flaring sides of said protrusion.

4. An attachment as claimed in claim 3, wherein said protrusion has a recess at the stern thereof for reception of the bow ofthe ship.

5. An attachment as claimed in claim 3, wherein each said pipe opens laterally in said protrusion.

6. An attachment as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pipes open proximate the bow end of the protrusion.

7. An attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vibratory mechanism is located ahead of the protrusion.

8. An attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protrusion has a recess at the stern thereof for reception of the bow ofthe ship.

9. An attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protrusion is a step having a vertical edge at the bow thereof which is spaced rearwardly from the bow of the body.

10. An attachment as claimed in claim I, wherein said body has an inclined bow and said protrusion has a straight bow forming a step with the bow of said body. 

